13-07-2025
Livingston off to Kilmarnock this week
Livingston will get a taste of the standard required in the Wiliam Hill Premiership when they travel to Kilmarnock on Wednesday (kick-off 19.45) on Matchday 2 of five in the Premier League Cup, also known as the Scottish League Cup.
David Martindale's side motor along the M8 and into East Ayrshire having secured a 2-1 victory in their opening game in the competition, the goals coming either side of the half-time break.
Macaulay Tait secured the win, the Hearts' loan player nipping in between after the goalkeeper and a defender failed to cut out a loose ball and sending it into net with a header from close in after 47 minutes.
Robbie Muirhead had broken the deadlock from close in from a central position in the box a minute into first-half injury time, the first goal of the 2025/26 campaign.
Defender Patrick Slattery scored for the home side after 55 minutes and then the Methil-based outfit lost Mamadou Bah on a red card six minutes into second-half injury time, after receiving his second yellow card of the game.
Tait's strike was his first for the club and he said: 'It's really good. I've been trying for the last couple of years and it has never happened.'
Overall, he said: 'It was a tough game, East Fife made it difficult, made it end-to-end at times, but we played some nice stuff and we deserved to win. We should have been a wee bit better in the final third.'
Going into the top flight with people he knew and had worked with for the last six months was a decisive factor in Tait returning to the club and, looking at Wednesday's trip, the 19-year-old midfielder said: 'It's good to test yourself early on against good teams and teams in your division and we go into it trying to keep that winning run going.'
This was undoubtedly a hard-fought win by the West Lothian club who used five substitutes during the game, May for Muirhead (60), Carey for Smith (60), Winter for Sylla (59), Culbert for Montano (33) and Rudden (82) for McLennan.
The starting line-up was Prior, McGowan (captain), Pittman, Muirhead, McLennan, Smith, Finlayson, Sylla, Tait, Montano, Wilson and the subs not used were Hamilton, McAlear, Shinnie and Kabongolo.
East Fife: Rollo, Bah, Easton, Munro, Peggie, Millar, McManus, Slattery, Trouten (captain), Jones, Austin. Only one sub was used, Nicol replacing Jones after 82 minutes. Subs not used were Thomas, Gilfillan, Bell, Gordon, and Ramsay.
Referee: Calum Scott.
The club have confirmed that Jerome Prior has signed a three-year deal to remain at Livingston, extending his stay until the summer of 2028, and that is despite strong interest in the goalkeeper from other clubs.
The Frenchman, who was recruited from Pau FC, earned a place in the PFA Championship Team of the Year with his displays for Livi last season and his record includes 22 clean sheets in 44 appearances.
Teenage midfielder Lewis Latona, who was on loan at East Stirlingshire last season, making 20 appearances, has joined the West Lothian club, the 18-year-old having clinched a one-year deal from Hamilton Academical, and French national, Brooklyn Kabongolo has penned a two-year deal with the club. The central defender was involved in the pre-season camp in The Netherlands.
Meanwhile, in retail, The Lions have revealed their new away kit, and it is described as a modern twist on the first away shirt from 1995/96 season, the first as Livingston FC.
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